Amidatelion

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

Marta's eyes tracked Yulian's departure carefully until he turned a corner and left her field of view.

"Well... it seems you keep very interesting company."

Her thoughts were more along the lines of "Wicked, Pompous Douchebag" - she'd seen enough of the PLA's camps to experience little but contempt for the idea - but it seemed like poor diplomacy to exchange barbs at this early stage, especially after she'd just gotten her habit dry-cleaned. Instead, she made an innocent gesture by placing a hand over her face.

"I was also surprised by the willingness of your delegation to make such bold statements in this time and place."

It would be even worse if Huo Ren and his toadies got used to making verbal shows of force and thinly veiled threats. Marta at least had more faith in the members of Task Force Obsidian... she kept close to Nil especially, however. Not that the young woman clearly couldn't take care of herself, but it might mean trouble if someone tried to take advantage of her relative lack of social graces. The nun kept her constantly within reach in case she had to be pulled from some unintended faux pas.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/09/2022 06:00 UTC+8

"Well, with any hope we shouldn't need to do much more than that."

Marta spoke from the chair where she was seated, paying close attention to the briefing. She flexed her fingers idly, enjoying the recovery from the last mission.

"It's a diplomatic encounter, after all, right? Even after everything, the Chinese would not risk the bad publicity of attacking a ceasefire negotiation in broad daylight. It... doesn't have any rationale, yeah?"

The nun must admit that statement was charged with more than a little wishful thinking. It would be wonderful if there were a ceasefire, preferably one that helped the whole situation get sorted without any more violence. Still, she wasn't so naive as to expect that things had any guarantee of turning out that rosy.

Even so... she did sincerely believe it would be irrational in the utmost.

"But this is going to be a big, important event with tons of dignitaries and such, right? I hope we won't have to be in front of the cameras too much, I'm not really good with all that..."

After she said this, she reflexively checked to make sure there weren't any stray hairs peeking around the side of her headdress.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022

Marta decided she would put serious effort into learning at least a little Mandarin in the future. At the very least, it would prevent situations like being caught staring uncomprehendingly and the subsequent furious blushing. She had apologized, but...

Well, she was about to respond, but then Cristina arrived with a severe look on her face. That was about when she decided this had graduated from a conversation into a "meeting" of sorts, so she stood up and shook some of the sand off her body.

"This little corner is becoming quite popular. Not as popular as Qingshe, though!"

Marta forces a smirk as she gestures meaningfully to her bandaged arm.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022

Marta just sat on the beach towel, seemingly paying close attention to the complex conversations and strategic considerations Jin Li and Qingshe discussed. In truth, she was deep in thought when the latter had arrived, considering how she felt about the political situation.

She had her own opinion about miracles And what it meant to hope for the miraculous in a world already steeped in impossible powers. But can one expect a miracle? She didn't think so. A miracle should defy sense and explanation - even that of Arms Masters. Hope for it all you want, but is it really a miracle if it can be expected?

What man calls a miracle must be wrought by man. Are not our hands here on earth, by design, to act as we will and wish? That's probably what she'll tell them.

...well, if the conversation goes in that direction, anyway. Marta isn't sure if they realize she doesn't speak Mandarin, but the chance to point that out has passed, and things are becoming slightly... awkward...

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022

Marta looked at the boy who approached her, seemingly unsure how to respond. She blinks slowly, then again, and cracks a gentle smile.

"...I see. You must have a lot on your mind, then. In my limited experience, unstressed people don't start conversations like that."

Having said this, she turns longingly to the sea.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be saying that. I thank you for the hospitality, I just think it's a shame I can't go for a swim. The water looks lovely."

Then she turns her head inquisitively.

"...that said, aren't you hot in that outfit? I don't have any spare towels, but I can share the shade if you like."

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/07:50 UTC+8

There are not many activities that one can do while one's arm is swaddled in bandages that are expressly forbidden from getting wet. Sister Marta knew this intellectually, but actually being made fully aware of it was... annoying.

Alone, she sits on a towel, wearing a modest swimsuit. Unable to relinquish the aspiration of a beachside vacation, she sits listlessly, nursing her wounds, tapping at a spent glass of water with a loose straw. The rhythmic percussion soothes her ill mood but doesn't resolve it.

"The Bright side, Marta... look on the bright side..."

She adjusts her parasol to compensate for the shifting sunlight before returning to her appreciation of sounds. The coming and going of the tide... yes, that's a good beat as well.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mekong River - 10/25/2022

"...If anyone can't walk, please help them move! Keep going and don't stop! I repeat-"

Marta stood at the rear of the large mass of escapees, herding them towards the ridge as best she could while hauling two prisoners of her own in one hand.

"Everyone, please listen! There's an evacuation spot over there by the ridge! Please move there in an orderly fashion-"

When the Descent had arrived, she had frozen in indecision - a rare moment of hesitation that she still cursed. She hadn't yet acquired the instinct, the habit of dealing with other Arms Masters on this level. The time to scold herself for this laxity was later - now, she was the only one in the position to lead the evacuation, and she was in her element. It matters not that the risk was even higher - she'd led enough evacuations that she sprung into action nigh immediately.


"- prioritize the sick and the elderly! Don't rush, you might hurt yourself or others! Don't look behind you, but don't leave anyone behind!"

For all her concern over whether the dam would break, someone else did it anyway. The pyrotechnic spectacle that occurred, as well as Qingshe's timely intervention, both stalled the otherwise disastrous flood... but for how long? If there's anything she's learned since coming to this corner of the world, it was to expect the unexpected, and the lapping, churning waters grew higher and higher every second.

"If anyone can't walk please help them move! Keep going and don't stop! I repeat-"

She was already carrying a third person, a man who was too weak to move. With him over her back, the weight on her shoulders only increased, and her put-upon knees creaked and ached with every hurried step, every step taken back to lead one more person who had gotten lost in panic and confusion.

"Saint Michael Archangel, please just a few minutes more..."

She mutters under her voice as she goes.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mekong River - 10/25/2022

"...woah."

Marta wasn't sure how else to react. One moment, her battle seemed to intensify, her lone remaining enemy escalating to lethal force now that it had become much more complicated to contain her. That much she was prepared for, nimbly backstepping from the murderous ice spikes - suddenly, the luminosity of the sky increased even further than it already was for the pitch middle of the night.

This time, it was green, and Marta officially didn't know what to do about it. Fight? Flight? Ignore it or rush there and try to do... something? Luckily, the sudden arrival of the Downward Descent and their dissolute chaos along the riverbanks had interrupted her opponent much the same, or she might have been open to a cheap shot.

"...I'll take you up on that surrender. Just don't do anything stupid, and the both of you will be treated decently."

She picks up Liu Xie with her Left Hand, suppressing a cringe now that the fight is over and the adrenaline rush no longer suppresses the pain of her wounds. Still, with the prisoners scattered to the winds and her immediate opponents surrendered, she wondered what else there would be a need to do here...

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mekong River - 10/25/2022

Wasting no time to react, Marta quickly hopped to her feet and charged the enemy arms masters with her boxing guard raised. Closing the distance, she decided not to avoid too many attacks - she could sidestep some of them, but...

"I'll take the vanguard, Miss Nil! Please back me up!"

Ducking beneath a stray kite, she lunges to sweep at the ground, sending a spray of debris flying to obscure the enemy's sight before running even faster. A blast of freezing slush impacts her - she grits her teeth and feels the burning on her right hand, but it does nothing to impede her momentum as it crashes against the fearsome Left. She puts on a face of bravado.

"Gnrkh! Hah, is that... all you can do? Thanks for the air-conditioning!"

Ropes harder than steel wind around her arms, gripping them with tremendous force, but before their grip can tighten any further -

"Will the wild bull be willing to serve you, or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?"

With a single pull, the hands binding the hand of wrath snap like poor strings, weak before its apocalyptic power. With a quick motion, the ropes ensnaring the burnt and bruised left hand are torn asunder.

"Can you tie the wild bull in a furrow with ropes? Or will he plow valleys after you?"

She barely intercepts a close-range blast of ice with her gauntlet, gritting her teeth. Her knees ache and cry out with the exertion as she darts forward in another lunge, gauntleted fist pulled back and ready to strike.

"Do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like His?!"

Reaching melee range by the skin of her teeth, she lets loose a boulder-shattering left straight.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mekong River - 10/25/2022

Helplessness is never a pleasant feeling. The inability to act, having to be content simply with being acted upon, is something humans must come to understand in their lives, from infancy to the deathbed. Confronted with the vastness of Creation, all human beings must perforce suffer that indignity sooner or later.

In situations like these, fleeing from certain death - or perhaps worse - at the hands of psychotic enemies and their misuse of power, Marta often found herself simmering in her thoughts on the nature of helplessness. Of all the impressive abilities granted to her allies and enemies, she did not know if any of them required the agonizing wait. Thirty-three seconds of helplessness in a life-and-death situation, where every passing second felt like an hour. Thirty-three seconds of being nothing but a Human on a battlefield of Giants. Thirty-three seconds spanning the gap between divine Might and divine Mercy.

A lot of people can lose their lives in thirty-three seconds.

A lot of regrets can come back to life in thirty-three seconds.

She's seen burning flesh before. She's carried her own burn scars and healed others in turn. Never before had they been borne by another in defense of her. The idea almost stole the strength from her knees before a surge of certainty flooded the back of her mind, and, in a flash of light, she manifested the brilliant white-gold gauntlet in her left arm. Clenching it tightly, she looks again at Qingshe.

"...yes. I'll leave the chastisement of the lust-addled rooster to you."

Turning around, she drives her fingers deep into the soil.

"Don't go dying on us, Serpent."

She pulls hard, sending a torrent of dirt, clods, and rock rushing behind her as she sends herself careening back to the fray...

---

... and arriving like a screaming bolide between Nil and the enemy's Arms Masters. It's hard to tell it's her at first, as there's only the booming impact of a fist as if from heaven, shattering the ground and leaving behind a sizable crater, but seconds later, Marta falls with a dull thump as she recovers from the second wave of force she used to cushion her fall.

Laying there on the shattered mud, she raises a metal-clad fist:

"It's two on two now, you warmongering scumsuckers!"